My Heart
by Asura Mori
Summary: He fights to stop the pain, so that he doesn't have to remember the blood on his hands. "Anna..." Rated T. Implied Kratos/Anna.


Warning: Some spoilers for those who haven't played Tales of Symphonia. Don't read if you haven't played. Implied Kratos x Anna. Rated T.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia or its characters in any way, shape, or form. I write these for my sanity, if nothing else.

_My Heart_

_By: Asura Mori_

He swung his blade in a low arc, decapitating his opponent cleanly. Sweat beaded on his forehead, dripping into his eyes as he fought to catch his breath. Through the darkness he could see more monsters approaching, their glowing red eyes giving their position away. _Let them come, _ he thought with a snarl, twisting his blade deftly in his hand.

It was better this way. Fighting gave him no time to think, no time to remember. It was when he wasn't fighting that the memories came back, haunting him with the painful reminder of his sins.

_"Kratos..."_

The red haired swordsman charged at the nearest enemy with a growl, cleaving through its middle. If he could sleep, he would, but even then he feared what he might dream of. Thankfully, such a thing was now impossible for him. As one of Yggdrasil's Seraphim, the ability to sleep had long ago been taken from him. He didn't feel heat or cold, didn't need to eat, didn't need to sleep... He wasn't supposed to feel either, but somehow that ability remained.

He wondered, not for the first time, if it was his punishment...

_"I love you, Kratos..."_

Kratos shuddered, the old wounds in his heart tearing open at the sound of _her _voice echoing in his head. He readied his blade to charge at the next enemy, only to find that they had all either been killed or fled. Growling in frustration, he flung his blade to the ground where it stuck firmly into the earth. Stalking away, he threw himself down at the foot of the nearest tree and pressed his back against it, his hands covering his eyes.

It was all coming back to him again... The painful memories of his past – things he wished he could forget... things he couldn't forget... Or maybe it was that he didn't want to forget. Because no matter how much it hurt, he never wanted to forget her...

His beloved wife. Anna.

_"Kratos, I want to be by your side for the rest of eternity."_

Anna... The only woman he had, and ever would, love. She had given him his greatest joy... and he had repaid her with death. He had known better than to take her as his wife, to bring her into his world. He had too many enemies, even among his own ranks – people who would have done anything to hurt him...

And they had taken her from him.

_"Kratos, I-I'm with child. Your child."_

Gods, how that news had filled him with joy. She had looked so beautiful that day, her eyes gleaming with joy as she took his hands in her own and placed them against her stomach. He remembered the happiness he'd felt, feeling the child within her kick as his hand. How proud he'd been.

_"KRATOS!"_

Her scream echoed in his head, making him cringe. He wished he could weep, but his tears had dried years ago, even though his heart continued to bleed.

_"Please... kill me..."_

He gave a small moan, burying his head into his knees. How had it come to this – this agony that he felt? Their love had been so pure, so beautiful... and it had ended with blood. Her blood. On his hands. A shudder racked his frame as he tried to force himself to breathe – the only sign of his grief that he could show.

Why did she have to die?

_"I love... you..."_

How was he supposed to continue when she wasn't here? When his Anna wasn't in his life? What was the point of living, besides the fact that he knew not how to die? He wanted to scream at the heavens for taking her, for taking his beloved.

What point was there in his living?!

A shadow engulfed his body and he forced himself to look up, his violet eyes first hardening and then softening.

Ah, there you are...

That's right, Anna wasn't completely gone. She had left him something, even though she no longer roamed the earth herself.

Standing above him with a worried expression was Lloyd. His son. Anna's legacy and remnant. Their child.

Lloyd's eyes widened and he bent down so that their faces were even. "Kratos... are you... okay?"

"I'm fine, Lloyd. Why do you ask?"

"Because you're... crying..." Lloyd looked away, then back again, seeming amazed. Kratos, too, looked amazed and he slowly reached a hand up to his face. He flinched, feeling hot tracks of water streaming down his face. Then he looked back at Lloyd, a sad smile forming.

Thank you... Anna...

~Fin~

Asura: Just one of those "feel fics."


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